Asheville, NC Citizen’s Police Academy Taking on Prevention

Thirty three trainees of the Asheville Citizen’s Police Academy participated with great interest, sobriety and enthusiasm in the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children training this week. “It was quite possibly the most lively and interactive Stewards training I’ve conducted” said Facilitator Paula Sellars.

Paula shared with us her observations from the session this week –

“One particularly exciting and inspiring participant, a 17 year old young man named James, shared with the group that this very evening he was going home to talk with his 9 year old brother about the privacy of his body and explain to him what sexual abuse is. Amazingly, he was the only person in the class willing to share what he was actually going to say to his brother, as if he was having the conversation. He did a great job and concluded by saying, “I know my mom has talked to him (his brother), but I would just feel better if he also heard it from me.” Extraordinary! And I am certain that the adults in the room took a lesson in courage from James. I know it because of the applause he received.

The evening concluded with participants choosing a buddy with whom they shared one action from the 7 Steps that they were planning to take in the next week. It was a great way to end the training and I am sure enabled participants to actually implement what they learned. There were several 60 and up adults in the group who were very definitive about having their own adult children take Stewards of Children Online, as a way of passing it on to them. And I was impressed that over 1/3 of the group were men – very engaged men who participated with gusto.”

It was a great night for Stewards of Children! Thank you Paula and the Asheville Citizen’s Police Academy for doing your part to protect children!

I love the idea of a “buddy” with whom to share an action Stewards participants will take in the next week. Excellent! I also have been suggesting to folks that Stewards of Children, whether in-person or online, would make for a wonderful holiday gift. $10 is so little to pay for the gift of a child’s safety and given that each Stewards participant could ostensibly better protect 10 children, it’s a gift that has very big benefits.
Great job, Paula. Happy Holidays. everyone!

Susan, what a fantastic suggestion…give a gift of hope in keeping a child safe. I think this is such an awesome idea that it should offer a coupon book to sell coupons to friends, family, organizations, etc of such a gift for Darkness to Light training to better protect our children! An amazing idea!!! Kudos to you for suggesting this. This is a gift that just keeps on giving!